Watchscapes: High Resolution Photography by Peter Chong

SIHH 2012: A. Lange & Sohne novelties

2012-01-27T10:53:00.000+08:00

Lange novelties for SIHH 2012 revealed.

This year's SIHH lacks real horological punch. Yes, there were many beautiful timepieces being shown, but no horologically exciting developments. Many were revisions of golden oldies.
Audemars Piguet celebrated their 40th anniversary of their Royal Oak and showed many new and very beautiful pieces. Vacheron Constantin revised their Malte line, making them even more elegant. Richard Mille showed an watch which is tagged to sell at US$1.7Million, whose case is sapphire glass and frankly reminds me of the watches made by Hong Kong company Toy Watch.
And Lange also revised some of their golden oldies. But, as is typical of Lange, there are some interesting twists.

Guests getting excited trying out the novelties at the LOG hosted presentation during the show.

The A. Lange & Sohne booth was interestingly decorated this year. A huge...no immensely huge watch adorns the reception announcing the arrival of the new Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar. To many who attended the show this year, this was "The Watch of the Show". More later.

And inside, they brought a piece of Germany right into Switzerland...

A 3.5 ton piece of rock, from the Ore Mountains where Glashutte had its industrial start some 170 years ago adorns the sitting area. In the picture above, behind the rock, next to the group of people having a discussion (brownie points if you can recognise who those people are) is a bar...and in addition to serving champagne, coke, coffes, they also have a station serving Radeberger...the beer from Saxony, vom fass...from the tap for a nice refreshing draught beer. And pretzels. Nice touch.

I have covered the monumental rework of the new Datograph Auf/Ab in the earlier unveiling article when I spent some time photographing and getting close and personal to the new Datograph Ab/Auf, so I won't cover that in any detail.

So let me start with the groundbreaking new Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar.

Magnificent looking watch. At first glance, looks like a Lange 1...um...no Daymatic...the automatic version of the Lange 1 with the time dial on the left, so it peeks out of the sleeve to reveal the time. But wait...there is an added dial around the main dial. This is the Month dial, which moves instantaneously at the end of every month, jumping one click forward...as do all the other day/date indicators...all jump instantaneously. At 9 o'clock one spies the day of week indicator. And of course the outsized date. Beautiful, elegant. Uncrowded...and perpetual calendar too.

The size is slightly enlarged...to 41.9mm...very slightly up from the regular 38.5mm on the Lange 1 or 39.5mm on the Daymatic. But as seen above on my wrist, it is a nice fit.

The movement, is of course, pure Lange...

Click on the image above to see the wall paper sized 1920 pixel wide photograph to appreciate the details of the movement.

Magnificently finished in traditional Glashutte style. Finishing is a hallmark of Lange watches, and after photographing thousands of watches, not many will stand to the scrutiny of the high magnification photography that I do. Magnified from 30 to 100 times its original size, in print, every flaw becomes visible. But even at this magnification, I remain always impressed with the finishing of Langes. I would venture to say that it is the best finish I have seen in a industrial production watch...meaning almost all watches you see in the market today, safe a few hand made examples done in small quantities by the master (one such example is the Dufour Simplicity).

In the Lange, everything is magnificently finished. Anglage is beautifully executed. Glashutte ribbing perfect. Bridges are laid out in an aestetically pleasing manner. The beautiful, relief rotor is arresting to the eye. The blued screws, chatons, and the hidden tourbillon...only visible from the back for that extra bit of discreteness is resplendent. And the wonderfully hand engraved cocks which hold the tourbillon is very nice.

Not only is the new Caliber L082.1 beautiful to the eye, it is also technically amazing. Not satisfied with the regular perpetual calendar...the old design used in almost all perpetual calendar watches (including Lange's Langematic Perpetual) is discarded as the module would add thickness to the movement. The Lange design team of Tony de Haas and Tino Bobe came up with an ingenious idea of a totally integrated perpetual calendar.

One which not only lives on the outer perimeter of the movement, but also features instaneously jumping of all indications (except moon phase). And one which is programmed to go from last day of the month to the first day of the following month without intervening numbers...for eg Nov 30 at midnight will jump to Dec 1, and not show Nov 31...which many perpetual calendars (including said Langematic Perpetual and Datograph Perpetual as they use the same calendar module) will do. Also on leap years, the display will jump instaneously at the stroke of midnight from Feb 28 to Mar 1. The only other perpetual calendar I am aware of which does that is the flash calendar from H. Moser's Perpetual 1.

The perpetual calendar also brings to mind an interesting anecdote...during the unveiling of the Langematic Perpetual in 2001, I was unimpressed with the dial layout of the Langematic Perpetual. I expressed this to Gunter Blumlein. Too common...too similar to the Patek 3940, I said to him. I challenged to make a perpetual calendar, but to have it in a Lange 1. "Impossible", he declared...and went on to explain why technically it is impossible to do so. But yet, today in Geneva on SIHH 2012, Lange unveils the Lange 1 with a perpetual calendar. Bravo Tony! Bravo Tino! You have done what was impossible in 2001...and Blumlein is surely smiling as he looks down from his resting place.

But wait, that is not all...as I entered the SIHH booth, I was caught by Wilhelm Schmidt...CEO of ALS...he pulled his sleeve and showed me his watch...he grinned..."new watch"...I looked at it and I said..."um...old watch...its a Lange 1". He grinned even more widely and said, "no, new watch"...

I said again, staring at the watch..."um...no...old Lange 1"...when he broke out..."its the new Grande Lange 1"...wow! The proportions were beautiful...looked exactly like the old Lange 1.

I consider this a triumph in the redesign. The original Grande Lange 1 was wrought with criticism. The movement was not enlarged...merely the case and dial was bigger. As a result of the enlarged dial, the pivots where the indicators were anchored in the center of the dial. To relieve the cramped center, the designers did the unspeakable...they overlayed the subdials within the Lange 1...breaking the design code which created the Lange 1...no overlapping indication. Despite that, the watch had its supporters.

In this redesign, Lange did not take the easy way out. The doppelfederhaus...double mainspring was replaced with a thinner mainspring, giving a power reserve of 72 hours instead of 96 hours...still very respectable. The case is enlarged from the regular Lange 1 to 40.9mm, though reduced from the former Grande Lange 1 which was 41.9mm, but more importantly, much thinner at 8.8mm.

The dial layout now is supremely well balanced, and invokes the feel of the original Lange 1...hence my failure to recognise it when I first saw it. The outsized date is now enlarged. The overlapping dials are gone. Perfect.

The Lange 1 and Saxonia Thin will also now be available in white gold, but otherwise no major change.

In conclusion, I think this has been a great year for Lange. A year of evolution instead of revolution. A year where they re-looked at their classics and very successfully updated them. Enlarged the Datograph. Reduced the size of the Grande Lange 1, and reworked a new perpetual calendar in the Lange 1 format, complete with stop second tourbillon. And such magnificently finished products. Well designed. Great year Lange. Cheers to more.

Closer look at Leica S2, Summarit-S 120 and Kari Voutilainen Vingt-8

2012-01-24T14:57:00.000+08:00

Sample photographs with the Leica S2 and APO MACRO SUMMARIT-S 1:2,5/120 mm: Kari Voutilainen Vingt-8.

Following up on last Friday's remarks using DeBethune's remarkable DB25T as an example, today's post I use the same combination on the Voutilainen Vingt8 (28). Also photographed in L'Atelier by The Hour Glass using my usual set-up.

I have featured the Vingt-8 before. As I described earlier, this is a magnificent watch.

As mentioned in Tuesday's post, the APO MACRO SUMMARIT-S 1:2,5/120 mm only does images to half size. However the sensor size is very large (almost the same size as the one in my regular Hasselblad H3d-39), and for web use, there is plenty of room for crop. Here are some cropped images.

The establishment shot...showing the whole back of the movement. This is a cropped image.

Click on the images for a 1920 wide desktop wallpaper image.

The movement is designed and manufactured by Kari Voutilainen...a Finnish watchmaker who has made his home in Motiers...a little village just a few minutes away from Fleurier in the Swiss Jura.

Note the amount of detail captured by the Leica. I also loved the way contrasts are rendered. And the colour is almost perfect out of the box. These images are jpegs straight out of the camera, stacked using Helicon Focus, and minor adjustments and cropping made in Photoshop CS4.

Also note the magnificent balance bridge, like old timers used to do for tourbillons. I would have preferred a tapered rounded bridge like those used in Lange's Pour le Merite Tourbillons, but Kari's example is very nice as well. Next week, I explore the Leica S2 in interiors, when I shoot with Chris Lee at MalMaison by The Hour Glass.

Gong Xi Fa Cai...

2012-01-22T15:32:00.000+08:00

May the year of the Water Dragon bring you happiness, prosperity and health.

The Water Dragon Object d'Art by Parmigiani Fleurier

Closer look at Leica S2, Summarit-S Makro: Debethune DB25T

2012-01-20T15:00:00.000+08:00

Sample photographs with the Leica S2 and APO MACRO SUMMARIT-S 1:2,5/120 mm: The Debethune DB25T.

Following up on my walkabout impressions of the quite remarkable Leica S2, here are some photographs I made in L'Atelier by The Hour Glass using my usual set-up.

I have featured the Db25T before, it is a remarkable watch. I particularly love the jumping seconds hand, and the beautiful Caliber 2109 with the magnificent bridge especially for the seconds morte mechanism.

With the APO MACRO SUMMARIT-S 1:2,5/120 mm, the largest aperture is f/2.5...a rather wide aperture for a macro lens. This, and the maximum magnification of half size leads me to believe that Leica intended this lens more as a portrait lens than a true macro lens.

Most macro work is done with the lens stopped down. Almost all my work is done at f/11 or f/16. This is due to the fact that when you close focus a lens, its depth of field is narrower than focussing at a distance. To get a larger depth of field, macro photographers have to use advanced and complex techniques like focus stacking.

The Summarit S focusses only to 1:2, meaning a half live size image of the object can be formed at the sensor. This limits watch photography to shooting the entire watch. Doing extreme macros like I often do in Watchscapes requires up to 2X magnification, and cannot be attempted with the Leica.

However, I find the lens to be superb. Beautiful sharpness. Excellent rendering of details. And very nice contrast. The lens also draws beautifully...the bokeh is nice and creamy. The MTF of the lens reads like it was taken straight out from theory. The charts are spectacular and truly testament to Leica's capabilities to perfect glass.

Click on the images for a 1920 wide desktop wallpaper image.

The movement...magnificent, beautiful. Stylised shield shaped bridge is very beautiful. And the jumping seconds bridge in blued titanium is certainly very nice.

And a 3/4 oblique view

More next week.

Girard Perreguax La Esmeralda: historically important watch

2012-01-17T10:14:00.000+08:00

Up close and personal with the Girard Perregaux Esmeralda, pocket watch with three golden bridges.

I reported on the remake of the famous Tourbillon with 3 golden bridges pocket watch some time ago during the exhibition of the GP treasures in Singapore.
What I did not say then, was I was privillaged to be allowed to handle and photograph the historically important Girard Perregaux "La Esmeralda"...the original, historical pocket watch with 3 golden bridges.

Girard Perregaux no. 168230, "La Esmeralda" is a historically important watch for GP, the 3 golden bridges and tourbillons. This particular watch had won awards at the Neuchatel Observatory from 1865 to 1890. The watch was eventually sold to President Porfirio Diaz of Mexico and purchased back by GP from the Dias family in 1973.

The watch is magnificently decorated...both the massive hunter case and the movement are heavily engraved.

Roger Dubuis Excalibur Double Tourbillon Skeleton

2012-01-13T09:16:00.000+08:00

Roger Dubuis Excalibur Skeleton Double Tourbillon. Interesting watch.

I was commissioned to photograph this watch for Revolution Magazine. The final approved photographs appeared in Revolution Asia 28. The electronic version is available for free download of Revolution magazine issue 28 here. I photographed the watch with my trusty Hasselblad H3D-39 with the HC 4/120 macro. But I also brought the little GH-2 with the Panasonic-Leica 45mm f/2.8 lens. This is a dimunitive fellow, compared to the Hasselblad...but I fitted the Profoto Air Sync onto it, and started shooting with 2 Profoto D1 lights, one fitted with a 2x3 softbox, and the other with just a reflector.

The results, I must say, I am reasonably pleased. The Panasonic MFT system can deliver fairly good quality. I might not use it for print assignments...um, maybe small prints are ok. Actually I will have another 6 page spread in a Swiss magazine which will feature a stacked image made with the GH2 appearing as a double page spread. But in general, I will reserve the Hasselblad for the larger prints...but for the web, they are not bad. Not bad at all.

Here is a selection from the shoot. These are out-takes, and not part of the commission.

Establishment shot...with whole watch...tilted for a bit of drama...

Note, the dust on the watch...this is a customer watch, owned and worn...not a prestine manufacturer photo example. Typically for a magazine shoot, the watch is cleaned with microfibre cloth and blue tack, and whatever dust that is still left on the watch will be touched out by the DI artist. For this commission, the art direction called for only watchcape styled movement shots, and it was not critical to clean up the case as it would not appear in the photograph.

The double tourbillons...the earlier, non skeleton model has the tourbillons spinning in different directions...but this one, they were both going clockwise...a bit less interesting, but nonetheless mesmerising.

Click here for a wallpaper sized image. (1920px by 1080px)

Perhaps stretching a bit on artistic license, using a larger aperture to create shallow depth of field. I kind of like this image...do you?

And a closeup look. Uncropped image of a single tourbillon at 2X magnification, the highest possible with the PL45 on the MFT body.

Note the tourbillon cage is black polished, and in this case, I had set up the soft box to be over the watch, causing the box to be reflected by the black polished steel to show the nice finish.

Revolution Asia 28

2012-01-12T18:37:00.001+08:00

Revolution issue Asia 28 is out now.

I have a 6 page spread of photographs inside.

Go here to download your free copy.

Extreme macros of the Double page spread of the Roger Dubuis Exclabut Double Tourbillon, full page Laufet Ferrier Gallet Tourbillon, full page Jaeger LecouLtre Gyrotourbillon and double page spread of the Gruebel Forsey Double Tourbillon Technique.

Store Visit: Malmaison by The Hour Glass

2012-01-10T08:32:00.000+08:00

Store Visit: Malmaison by The Hour Glass: Emporium Extronaire

The Malmaison by The Hour Glass is not quite new...in fact, it opened its doors just after SIH 2011...almost a year ago. But the store continues to amaze me. This is a veritable temple of luxury, conceived and created by Hour Glass's intrepid Executive Director Michael Tay.

It holds many treasures...many many treasures. From wrist watches, where the company cut its proverbial teeth...here is the inner sanctum, where the high end brands reside...

To the incredibly interesting men's store within the store:

Carrying a wide selection of high end men's apparels...shoes from Pierre Corthay

Shirts and ties from Charvet and suits from Rubinacci:

And books...

Observe the copy of Modernist Cuisine, by the erstwhile Nathan Myhrvold and team...a superb testament to the taste and quality offered in this store. Ties by Charvet, and socks by Corthay also adorn the table.

And the leadin to the men's store, stands guard an enormous Griffin:

To its right, the Rolex boutique, and to its left, the Patek Philippe mini-store.

Upstairs, bespoke perfume and artistic jewellery is offered:

And a small book corner, offering the best of art books

I spy a copy of my own book on the top left of the photograph. Indeed this is the only retail outlet for my book in the world.

Beautiful, magnificent store. Conceptually brilliant, and probably the first in the world to offer such refined works of artisans in one roof.

Photonote: This series of photographs is shot with my GH-2 while on-site to do a more elaborate photoshoot with the Leica S2. The Leica photographs will be released later as part of the Leica S2 Review...to be done in collaboration with ace photographer Christopher Lee...seen here peeking out from one corner behind the S2.

H. Moser Perpetual 1 and Tsar's Eagle Mayu

2012-01-06T09:10:00.000+08:00

I'd like to present some of the watches made by Moser. The Perpetual 1, which I have covered before in a bit detail is still one of the most outstanding perpetual calendars in production.

Seen on here on the wrist of my good friend Eddie

Also available with a fancy dial...rose gold case

Also, a watch made for the Tsar...pocket watch with his photograph on the dial

And a tribute watch made by Moser...the Mayu with Tasrs Eagle:

And a closer look at the pocket watch's bejewelled engraved back.

Parmigiani Fleurier Pershing Openwork Tourbillon

2012-01-03T10:26:00.002+08:00

Parmigiani Fleurier Pershing Tourbillon

One of the watches which caught my jaded eyes last year (2011) was the Parmigiani Fleurier Pershing Tourbillon with open work dial. Beautifully finished, fully in-house production (movement, dial, case, finishing all done within the company)

Parmigiani is an amazing company. Started by watchmaking genius Michel Parmigiani some 30 years ago when he became independent, the brand Parmigiani Fleurier is much younger...started 12 years ago, with the support of the Sandoz Foundation, the brand is the central to a theme of being totally independent. A full manufacture, with facilities to make components like screws, levers, springs to a full casemaking factory, a complete dial manufacture, and movement creations manufacture, the company is becoming truly independent.

This particular watch plays on the iron fist in velvet glove flavour which so intrigues me. A strong, rugged case capable of 200m of water resistance protecting a tourbillon which traditionally is used to show the watchmaker's virtuosity and typically not rugged. I love watches which show this juxtaposition.

The watch is quite magnificent. The fully in-house manufactured movement features the Caliber 511, manually wound watch, with open work pvd main plate and bridges and a 30 second tourbillon. The movement has a power reserve of 1 week.

Both the front and back of the watch shows off the beautifully finished movement. I particularly love the gleaming tourbillon bridge's jewel and the intricate of patterns of the bridges fully visible under the sapphire dial.

Though measuring some 45mm in diameter and sitting about 14.2mm high, the Pershing Open Work Tourbillon sits comfortably on my wrists.

Available in palladium case with rubber strap with deployant buckle as shown limited to 30 pieces, or in 18k rose gold with Hermes aligator strap also limited to 30 pieces, or in palladium with diamond bezel and rubber bracelet in an edition size of 10 pieces.

Leica S2 walkabout impressions

2011-12-30T10:42:00.001+08:00

Shooting ION: a walkabout with the Leica S2

The Leica S2: impressions from a walkabout

Just a quick walkabout to give an impression on the Leica S2. I am preparing a longer report and review of the Leica S2 system on my watch shoot, but in the meantime, just quick impressions. Note this is by no means a review. And just quick impressions.

I was at Orchard Ion, amidst the Christmas lights, so this tribute photograph to the large Cartier shop. This is a 3 panel vertical landscape stitch with the Summarit-S 1:2.5/35 mm ASPH.

The first impression when I started to process the files are that the camera's AWB is awefully good. It seems to get the white balance spot on, even with mixed and difficult lighting conditions.

Inside ION is an example...the cafe just outside the Miu Miu store. Note the wall of light on the Miu Miu store, and the intricate texture on the wall is intact. This lighting condition is quite tricky. The dark cafe, backlit. Also with Summarit-S 35mm.

Strong halogen on a mannequin. The spot light on the mannequin is at least 2 stops above the rest of the store. Lens is the Summarit-S 1:2,5/70 mm ASPH.

One of the best aspects of the S2 is the rear LCD is very nicely done. Crisp, sharp, and able to give a much better impression for focus confirmation and colour rendition than the aweful LCDs on the Hasselblad H system.

The interior of L'Atelier by The Hour Glass. Mixed lighting. With the showcases much brighter than the environment. Summarit-S 1:2.5/35 mm ASPH.

The 35mm Summarit is quite sharp, and relatively distortion free...for a lens this wide...it is very impressive. The following are photographed taken hand held:

The form factor of the S2 is very DSLR like. Indeed feels about the same as the Canon 1ds3, or Nikon D3, though the lens are considerably larger. The walkabout ability is certainly a very nice feature of this camera.

And a quick watch photograph...with the APO Macro Summarit-S 1:2.5/120 mm is not a true macro...it focuses down to only 1:2. I would consider ability to shoot at 1:1 a requirement for macro.

The MTF specifications of this lens is amazing...almost theoretical.

Cropped image shown above. Single image, no focus stacking. Renders detail nicely, but perhaps I need to investigate a bit more, but it would seem at f/16, there is some diffraction.

p.s. Thanks to Leica Singapore and Christopher Lee for arranging the camera. A more detailed report, in conjunction with Chris will be done up later.

Independence The Art of Horology...a visit to the store in Hong Kong.

2011-12-27T10:11:00.000+08:00

Independent Watchmaking Salon in Hong Kong

March of the Independents

It is no secret that I am an ardent admirer of independent watchmakers. I was one of the first to invest in Philippe Dufour, by purchasing and writing about him. As early as 1999, I wrote an early article which appeared in The Business Times Supplement in Singapore on Philippe and his endeavours.

And I make it a point to always spend as much time as I can at the ACHI booth at BaselWorld when I attended the Basel event.

Independence - The Art of Horology

So it is with GREAT pleasure for me to introduce a store, totally independent itself from any large retailers, to be totally dedicated to promoting the works of the independents.

I understand from the owner that the store is designed to be non-profit. Interesting, methots. Operated more like an art gallery than a traditional watch store.

It is a rather small, but not tiny, store tucked away at the third floor of a building in Pedder Street, where Shanghai Tang used to be. But beautifully decorated...not only with the traditional decor elements, but also with a very good collection of antiquities...like this escapement model, made of steel, and at least a hundred years old.

But also, a nice collection of books and old drawings. Ahem...also a copy of my book - A. Lange & Sohne: The Pour le Merite Collection.

A nice inner lounge where customers can relax, and view the watches in comfort.

The independents they currently represent are Philippe Dufour, Romain Gautier, Ludovic Ballouard, Roger Smith, Kari Voutilainen, amongst others. As is typical of independents, when I was there, they did not have much stock to show. The owner's personal Dufour Simplicity graced one showcase, while another showcase hilighted Roger Smith's masterpiece. But they had stock of Romain Gautier and Ludovic Ballouard.

Shown here is the Romain Gautier made especially for the opening of the store.

Side by side with the regular production watch, the piece unique for Independence features an open work case:

And a blackened bridge treatment, using grey gold (as I understand it)

A closer look at the regular production Romain, showing the exquisite finish:

and the Ludovic which was there...quite an interesting movement

Worth a visit when you are in Hong Kong...also, right next door is the beautiful gentlemen's clothing store: The Armoury. Drop by also to have a look and perhaps purchase the beautiful products...from Drake ties to shoes from Carmina, Gaziano Girling and St. Crispins. All wonderful brands. To bespoke suits et al.

I am supporting the Independence effort in my own way. I will be doing a solo exhibition of my portrait prints of the independent watchmakers in the store. Timing to be confirmed.

Independence - The Art of Horology
307 Pedder Building (3rd Floor)
12 Pedder Street
Central, Hong Kong

Photonote: All photographed hand held, under store lighting conditions.

Rebellion T-1000: unusual watch with 1000 hours power reserve

2011-12-23T07:28:00.000+08:00

Rebellion. What a name for a watch. And true to its name, this is indeed a rebellious watch.

Manually wound. Six barrels. 1000 hours of power reserve. To wind the watch, one releases a lever, and the entire bezel pivots at 6 o'clock, and operating the lever winds the watch. Cool.

Two chains, one on each side of the case, are used to transmit the power from all the six barrels to the movement.

Rotating disks to show the hours and minutes. The balance wheel, placed at an angle to the rest of the otherwise ordinary movement.

Statement product.

SIHH 2012 Novelty: EXCLUSIVE: The Lange new Datograph Auf/Ab

2011-12-20T16:01:00.024+08:00

A. Lange & Sohne announces the new Datograph Auf/Ab

December 20, 0900 CET

Lange announces the replacement for the 11 year old Datograph with a new and improved Datograph. I attended the launch event in Dresden, and managed to spend a full morning with the watch, photographing, examining, pondering. Here are the exclusive live photographs and my personal impressions.

Wilhelm Schmidt, CEO of Lange unveils the new Datograph in Dresden on December 7, 2011 at the Albertenium.

Reinventing classics is an activity fraught in danger. If one does a good job, credit goes to the creator of the original. If one does not do a good job, stretching the classic a bit too far...tongues will wag. Who does he think he is, to attempt to improve on the perfect?

I applaud the folks at Lange for attempting to revise, reinvent, reinterprete one of their own classics - the Datograph. The Datograph was unveiled in 1999, and hailed as the best chronograph ever made. I am one of the big fans, having written one of the first reviews of the Datograph in November 1999, and owning it since. And I will let the cat out of the bag early by announcing that in the eyes of this old Datograph fan, they did a great job.

So what is changed?

First noticable change is the size of the case. Enlarged from 39mm to 41mm. Not too large. But sufficient to make it current. On my wrist, it fits beautifully.

More importantly, the thickness remains unchanged at 13.1mm, making the watch even more wearable. Take a closer look:

Second, like most things Lange does, this is not without reason, or just for aestetics. The enlarged case also holds a new movement. Now caliber L951.6, which houses a larger and more powerful mainspring. The movement has now an increased power reserve of 60 hours, up from the older movement's 36 hours. This is a nice update.

Third, one spies on the dial, a Auf/Ab indicator. At 6 o'clock, it tells the tale of the mainspring. Some may not be fans, but I do like the little touch of the red tail at the end of the power reserve. And that the power reserve hand is actually an applique on a turning disk.

Fourth, simplified hour markers. The Roman numerals II, VI, and X have been replaced, and the hours are now marked with rhodiumed gold batons.

This gives the dial a sleeker look. But still retaining the all important family DNA.

Fifth, an inhouse crafted balance:

(some pictures will open to 1920 pixels wide when clicked)

Much larger than the original is now fitted. Six eccentric poising weights are now used in place of gold screws to adjust and fine tune the rate and beat of the balance. The eccentric weights are more aerodynamic than the screwed balance, though some may prefer the traditional look of the gold screws around the balance wheel.

The larger balance allows the Datograph to keep better time, all things being equal. And the exclusivity of the in-house balance is an added bonus. This makes it the 18th Lange caliber to carry the inhouse balance, starting with the Double Split in 2004.

As a result of the enlarged movement, due to larger mainspring and opportunity to enlarge the balance, the dial has to be redesigned. And the famous Lange outsized date also enlarged so that it appears proportionally the same on the dial. Nice touch in this detail.

Sixth, the L951.6 movement is slightly modified from the L951.1...

such that the return pusher now applies its force on the heart cam indirectly, via a spring loaded lever rather than allowing direct pressure from the operator's finger on the pusher to act on the cam. This alleviates the pressure on the cam, avoiding early damage.

Other Datograph functions, like the light, smooth operation of the pushers remain unchanged. As is the precisely jumping minute counter...a delight to many, especially when it was introduced in 1999.

Have a Blessed Christmas, and may your years be filled with happiness, prosperity and health.

Lange manufacture calibre L951.6 specifications

Movement parts: 451
Jewels: 46
Screwed gold chatons: 4
Escapement: Lever escapement
Oscillation system: Shock-resistant balance with eccentric poising weights; superior-quality balance spring manufactured in-house, frequency 18,000 semi-oscillations per hour, precision beat adjustment system with lateral setscrew and whiplash spring
Power reserve: 60 hours when fully wound
Functions: Time indicated in hours, minutes, and subsidiary seconds with stop seconds; flyback chronograph with precisely jumping; power-reserve indicator; outsize date
Operating elements: Crown for winding the watch and setting the time, two pushers for operating the chronograph, one pusher for rapid correction of the outsize date
Case dimensions: Diameter: 41.0 millimetres; height: 13.1 millimetres
Movement dimensions: Diameter: 30.6 millimetres; height: 7.9 millimetres
Case: Platinum
Dial: Solid silver, black
Hands: Rhodiumed gold, steel

Please do leave your comments, impressions either here, or at at the Lange discussion forum I moderate at Timezone.com.

Photo note: Please note that the watch being photographed is a prototype, and bears the grit and grunt of many hands on it the evening before I had the opportunity to photograph it. So please excuse the "lived in" look of the watch. Also, as I was travelling light to the event in Dresden with only the GH-2, 45 macro and a small flash (Canon EX580II), the lighting is harsh, and not as flattering as if I had used the Profoto Compact600s.

Note also, all photographs are original. I have intentionally not used any of the press photos.

Sunset in Lausanne

2011-12-16T07:44:00.002+08:00

while visiting my friends in Lausanne, we took a stroll around his beautiful home and witnessed the sunset.

Unlike most sunsets in Singapore, sunsets in the Northern hemisphere is mostly spectacular. Two quick photographs to illustrate:

Just broad colour strokes. Nothing in focus. Abstract. The colours are intense. Only slightly saturated in CS4.

and a panorama

Castles from Germany: Bad Muskau

2011-12-13T05:57:00.005+08:00

Continuing the series of castle scenes from Germany, I was at Bad Muskau...a little town by the Neisse River which draws the border between Germany and the Czech Republic. The border line was drawn by the Soviets after WW2, to demarkate East Germany from Poland.

The castle itself was very beautiful, scenic.

The park and castle was built by Hermann von Pückler-Muskau, a famous landscape artist who made the beautiful gardens. Very nice, serene, even.

Scenes from Germany

2011-12-09T01:58:00.000+08:00

I have shown many city scenes from my many visits to Germany. This entry, I take the opportunity to show some non-urban scenes.

First, still somewhat urban...in the city of Goerlitz, the most Eastern city of Germany...the cathederal, photographed about 8pm, from the Czech side. From the bridge which crosses the Lusatian Neisse River.

f/8, 10 second exposure, iso800. Panasonic Lumix GH-2 with 14-140 lens at 17mm.

Next week, the castle at Bad Muskau.

A. Lange & Sohne: Richard Lange Pour le Merite

2011-12-06T05:26:00.001+08:00

The Lange Richard Lange Pour le Merite is one of the 4 watches within the Lange collection which carry the fusee and chain mechanism.

This particular example is owned by a good friend of mine. And I had the pleasure to photograph this watch under very dim conditions of a Michelin starred restaurant in Dresden...the Bean and Beluga. A review of the food will follow next week, but for now, I think the beauty of the watch shows up, even under such dim conditions.

The movement side...

Shot at 800 iso, with the 45mm macro Panasonic Leica lens, at f/2.8, the GH2 redeems itself quite well under this lighting condition. No flash, no tripod...handheld.

The depth of field is shallow, no doubt as the aperture was wide open. But the lens was sharp, and showed good detail. The sensor captured very good colour as well.

The files begin to breakdown at larger prints, but for web use, I think it suffices.

Time out

2011-11-29T01:43:00.001+08:00

Apologies no posts from last Fri till Dec 6. I am travelling in Switzerland, on work assignment shooting some amazing watches. Project will be unveiled soon!!

Schloss Neuschwanstein: Bavaria, Germany

2011-11-18T10:19:00.001+08:00

The German Alps, just about 2 hours by train from Munich is a magnificent mountain range...and within lies the tale of a strange monach, who instructed his people to build a magnificent castle playground rising out of stone, within the majestic landscape of the mountains.

The castle is none other than Neuschwanstein...or translated to new swan stone. Built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria in the early 1900s, it featured the then new electric lights, and would glow in the evening, after dark when viewed by the villagers below. Amazing.

Click on image for a larger one. The photograph is a stitched from 4 vertical images, and taken from Marienbruck, just behind the castle.

The castle looks small in this photograph, and that is the idea...though the building is anything but small. The castle was Walt Disney's inspiration for his trademark for Disney cartoons...where the fairy appears from a fairy tale castle.

A closer look at the castle.

Looking from the observation point down the valley

And from the valley, from the lake, looking onto the Alps.

The castle is a candidate for the UNESCO World Heritage Site status.

World Heritage Sites: Forbidden City: Beijing, China

2011-11-15T07:32:00.004+08:00

Followup on last week's post on the Forbidden City...here is the image, taken from the other corner of the palace museum, just after dusk.

This photograph is available as a limited edition, signed print, 24 inches by 30 inches with an edition size of only 10 copies worldwide. The image is printed at 16 bit colour, 300 dpi with no resizing on Hahnemuhle 305g Ultra Bright Paper. Please email for price. Also note, all photographs in this blog are available as prints. Enquire by email to chongpATgmail.com

Earlier, I had visited the Forbidden City...also known in China as Gugong...or Old Palace.

There were huge crowds within...many foreign and local tourists flock this most interesting and must see site in Beijing. Below is a 5 panel stitch.

A closer look at one of the gates...I forget which...The palace was beautifully restored, and looked as magnificent as it did during the days of the emperors.

And within a hall, known as the Music Hall

A view of the outside...

Shooting at the Forbidden City

2011-11-07T18:33:00.001+08:00

Just a short post today, as I am away in Munich and Dresden with a full program.

This photographed just before dusk at the Forbidden City...

or in BW

I had just completed my visit to the Forbidden City...took the audio guide....used to be Roger Moore as a narator...but now by an unknown Chinese lady speaking good English, but with a distinct Chinese accent. Took all day to see almost all of the Palace. Left at 5pm when the museum closed, and spied this group of photographers aiming their cameras at the corner of the Forbidden City...

From what I can figure out, these were locals. Interesting gear...the chap nearest to me was using the Pentax 645D, also on a Photoclam and Gitzo 3541 (except I have the LS, his has the center column). And a bit further down, a fellow with a Canon EOS but also with a Linhof 617 or similar.

I returned the next evening after dark (shot this at 6:30pm, sun down 5:30pm), but those pictures later.

Kari Voutilainen No 28

2011-11-04T07:00:00.001+08:00

I have been following the career of the illustrious Finnish watchmaker, Kari Voutilainen for a while. He makes interesting pieces, quite well finished. Take for example the decimal repeater...where instead of striking the quarters and minutes, the watch actually strikes the same way as we read the time...in tens of minutes, then minutes. Brilliant.

His newest project is the No 28, a beautiful watch...this specific watch I photographed is the special series for The Hour Glass in Singapore. It features blued steel hands and a different guilloche dial from the regular production.

The movement is fully inhouse...

And features a very beautifully finished round balance bridge for the large balance wheel. This bridge, is made of steel, rounded, but tapering slightly at the sides...and polished. Like a tourbillon bridge.

The dial is hand guilloched in a rose machine, which I saw the last time I visited Motiers.The waves are particularly beautiful...the watch reminds me of the pieces made by Urban Jurgenson.

A closer look at the dial...it is evident the guilloche is applied in waves...and quite beautiful

And a closer look at the movement.

World Heritage Sites: Temple of Heaven, Beijing, China

2011-11-01T10:49:00.000+08:00

Continuing on my World Heritage Sites series, now in Beijing.

The Temple of Heaven is a place where the Emperor used to worship and pray to Heaven for a good harvest. The building is spectacular, in an equally spectacular grounds. Architecturally, it is a magnificent achievement. Said to be the largest timber building in Beijing...I am not sure, as I think there is a similar claim for one of the buildings in the Forbidden City, another World Heritage Site, and subject of a future article.

Anyway, the place is beautiful, and worth spending an morning or afternoon in.

The main building, which houses the worship hall.

And a pano of the main grounds. There are literally people everywhere...tourists from outside China and within abound. And it was difficult to take a photograph without any people around...but I guess with people in the picture will give us a sense of scale and the feeling of the buzz which is in China these days.

Lange Owner's Club Lunch. October 14, Tokyo.

2011-10-28T07:45:00.003+08:00

As I reported last week, Lange and I had a joint Press Conference in Tokyo to simultaneously launch their Pour le Merite collection - in particular the latest Richard Lange Tourbillon Pour le Merite together with my book.

The very next day, Lange hosted a very special lunch for the Lange Owners Club of Japan. A group of about 25 enthusiasts came for lunch.

The standing area, with the round tables have been transformed into three long tables to sit the guests for the excellent sit down dinner. But first the welcome by Peter Kesselman

Short speech by Lange CEO Wilhelm Schmidt

And Lange presented a copy of my book to the members of the club. I am not able to show the photograph of the handing over by Wilhelm and the President of the Club because of Mr. President requested anonimity. So I will show wrist shots instead of portraits of the participants.

Wilhelm also presented every member who attended the lunch with a unique Lange pin, in sterling silver:

The discussions were active and candid...many wore beautiful Lange timepieces...here is a selection of a few. Begining with the first platinum Richard Lange Pour le Merite Tourbillon delivered in Japan...fresh from the dealer's...

On Wilhelm Schmidt's wrist...a Datograph Perpetual.

On the wrist of a beautiful young lady, and equally beautiful Lange 1 Tourbillon

Apparently quite popular...this one the Homage to FA Lange Lange 1 Tourbillon in honey gold:

I spied an Olympus pen, with the rare Voigtlander 25mm f/0.95 lens...

at work...yes, its the Lange 1 Tourbillon lady's camera...good taste in all areas...:-)

And the youngest member of LOC